Treasure Chest of Thoughts

I Want to Read!

January 19th, 2012 · 2 Comments · Uncategorized

I wrote here about using sentences from our upcoming mentor text as a tool for teaching sentence structure and promoting the novel.  It works!

Today, one male student asked me, “Mrs. Gillmore, where are the Frankenstein books?”

“In the box. ”

As eyes began looking for the box and his body began moving that direction, I said, “You want your copy?”

“Yes.”

He left with his copy of the novel.

NEXT CLASS:

After dissecting our first sentence, another male student said, “It’s not fair we don’t get our books yet.”

At first, I ignored the comment, thinking he was being facetious.  Then, when we completed the second sentence, and he made another comment about wanting to read the book, I paused. And smiled.

Wow!  Two students (both male…did I mention that?) want to read a classic novel.  This “frontloading,” via the use of very small novel excerpts, is working!  Through two sentences a day, I have hooked them.

Yes, today was a good day!

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A Very Branchy Tree?

January 16th, 2012 · No Comments · Uncategorized

In Kelly Gallagher‘s Deeper Reading, he compares an avid, varied reader to a tree with many healthy branches, with each branch representing a genre.

My personal reading tree has grown a few new branches over the last few years:  young adult, vampire, historical fiction, non-fiction.  Now, I realize more than ever the reading “rut” I read in for many years.  Gallagher calls this a reading path…the path keeps connecting

Gallagher explains that this is one reason that students often have a difficult time connecting to classics and more difficult texts (including text books).

What about the adolescent who sits in my third-period class and would rather go to the dentist than begin reading Great Expectations?  That student is a king palm tree, growing tall at an alarming rate, but without developing a single reading branch.  When you are branchless, all books in the English language curriculum are unfamiliar.  Every book to this student resembles a 500-page N.C. Wyeth obstacle.

These students have little, if any, background knowledge with which to connect to these assigned readings, for they simply have not read.

This is true.  My students who perk up when I discuss books are the ones already reading.

Introducing books and authors is the answer, though, for these king palm trees.  I book talk, show book trailers, let them lay hands (literally) on books that I am promoting. Sometimes, yes,  sometimes, it works.  I hook a non-reader.

The other way to engage non-readers is that the hook…a hook that connects what I want them to learn with something they already know.

For instance, last week we began reading “My Last Duchess.”  To introduce nobility titles, we watched a video clip of a tribute to Disney princes and princesses.  Then…well, then, we had to discuss girls who like “whate’er she looked on and her looks went everywhere.”   Somehow that talks transcends time!  Yes, now they are hooked!

This has me thinking…I have palm tree students…really need to work on grafting branches onto these trees.

Sidenote:  I am really enjoying Deeper Reading.  So enjoy when I find a PD book that is full of usable nuggets.  This is one of those…and I am only on page 35!

 

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Two Reads Completed!

January 16th, 2012 · No Comments · Book Challenge

Just finished my second book for 2012!  Please check out my thoughts…and add your own…to the below links:

  1. East, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
  2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling.
Both of these books, I read for book challenges…and for pleasure.  I enjoyed both.  Now, I can watch both of the movies!  First, to re-watch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, as I enjoy being off on this MLK/Robert E. Lee Day!  :)

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Bringing Life to the Old

January 14th, 2012 · No Comments · lesson plans

This week, we (the 11th grade English teachers) began working with “summarizing a text,” using, so far, “Conversation Piece” by Ned Guymon  (a poem I came across as I began reading Kelly Gallagher’s Deeper Reading) and “My Last Duchess by Robert Browning.  They (the students) love these pieces of literature…and they love concluding what is unknown.

We concluded Friday’s class by analyzing two-thirds of Browning’s poem:  first, I modeled the summarizing technique, then they summarized in their lit circle groups, sharing their results via the document camera.  Next class, each student will write a summary of the final third part of the poem.

NOTE:  Several seemed to relate the Duchess’ characteristics to people/girls they know.  Hummmm….yes, what happened in the 1500′s is still happening in the 21st Century!

NOTE #2:  I “hooked” the students by discussing titles of nobility and listening/watching this YouTube video of a Disney Princess Tribute to music by Aqua…very loud music…just in case they were even thinking about taking a snooze!

Another “old” I re-introduced this week, as bell work,  is sentence structure types.  Yes, as juniors, they should already know this, but my and their realities are more real than “should have’s.”

I am choosing sentences from our upcoming mentor text Frankenstein…great way to promo and set the background for this text.  Then, we analyze/annotate on the white board (after they have written the sentences on paper so they can “mark” them up) for the following:

  1. Mark out all prepositional phrases (removes lots of words that a subject or verbs will not fall within).
  2. Identify subject verb combos (s+v)
  3. Circle any introductory clause words (subordinating conjunctions, relative pronouns, and common introductory now words)…this determines if we have a complex sentence.
  4. Check for FAN BOYS.  If we do, then we check to ensure we have s+v combo on each side of the FAN BOYS…this determines if we have a compound sentence.
  5. Re-insert all the punctuation I removed from the sentences.
This works!  Maybe it’s because this feels like a game?
Right now, I am modeling, encouraging, teaching.  In a couple of weeks, they will be confident enough to tackle these sentences alone and then report out their findings without my reminding them of each step.
I did create a packet that contains lists of each of the above word sets mentioned.  This process also forces them to “research” this packet, to view this material (necessary for those who are visual learners).
Why teach phrases, clauses, sentence types, and comma rules in such a manner?
  1. Students need to leave my class with a better appreciation of our language.  I love to analyze how sentences are put together.  I heard a teacher say “I love to hear our language.”  I would rather study it, analyze it than speak it.   I suppose that is why I loved diagramming sentences, which always felt like a game to me.  When I have taught diagramming in the past, I had students who would get so competitive in the process.  Yes, I want my students to develop an appreciation for “hearing” our language, but I also want them to understand “the why” it sounds as it does.
  2. Their not understanding/knowing comma rules is affecting my students’ grades in college…yes, the “real world.”
  3. Students need to be able to write readable documents.  I listened to a discussion between an English teacher and a biology teacher last week, during which the biology teacher was noting how some of her students cannot write.  The English teacher’s point seemed to be that we need to teach them to “think” so that their content will be more “deep,” to which the biology teacher responded, “But if there are so many errors within, I cannot focus on the content…,” to which the English teacher responded….and so on.  I GET IT!  Students do need to think (BTW, Common Core says so…and so does that thing called “real life”) AND write!  We must teach both.  Not just one or the other.  That is our job, folks!  If we are not, then we (teachers) are failures, and, worse yet, we set our students up for failure.
  4. Mary Shelley wrote our model sentences when she was 19 years old.  If she could do it, then so can they, my students who are so close to that very age.  Yes, they can, and, better yet, they can KNOW they are writing such sentence structures!
Yesterday, my husband asked how my day went.  I responded, “Great!’  What a powerful response to have upon the completion of teaching five days.
Can’t give the same response?  Then stop!  Reflect.  Find the answer as to why you cannot respond in such a manner…then reflect on what changes YOU can make.  If you are in my same sort of boat, I cannot change my situation.  I can only change myself.  That lesson, my friends, took waaaaaaaaaay too long for me to learn!
Do I sound preachy?  I hope not.  I have just lived on both sides of this fence.  Just have to say…I prefer the “great” side!
Find your passion and build on it!  Enjoy!

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Blogs x 4

January 9th, 2012 · No Comments · Uncategorized

I have been busy blogging…on my other blogs.  If you feel so inclined, please take a journey and peruse my thoughts there…thanks!

  • My Prayer Walk:  On this blog is where my heart is right now.  I look forward to the time of revival for Treasures and my place in education.  Right now, though, my focus is simply elsewhere.
  • Mrs. Gillmore’s Book Reviews:  Here, I have created a list of the books (yes, books) I am currently reading.  I was feeling a bit  behind, for I have not completed one book yet this year! 
  • English 11 Cafe:  Here, I posted my teacher sample of the first post assignment for 2012.  I asked the students to ponder a theme word for 2012.  My word?  Quiet.  Shhhh….:)

These blogs represents various facets of my life.  As in life, I suppose, our focus does shift, as is illustrated above.

Are you a multiple blogger?  Or do you tend to write on all topics on one blog?

Personally, as long as one is writing, then reflection is occurring.  Right?

 

 

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The Wind of Change

January 6th, 2012 · No Comments · lesson plans

Yesterday, our leaders granted those who teach English 11 a day to continue our work begun on unpacking the Common Core Standards as we plotted and planned our thematic unit for this upcoming nine weeks.

The day was a blessing as we made decisions and created the “big umbrella” picture and then went back and organized the skills into daily lessons, choosing additional texts and formative and summative assessments of those skills that will, hopefully, be mastered.

Such work has been a long time coming.  The Lord does answer prayers!

This nine week’s unit is based on the over-arching essential question:  What does being human mean?  Our core text is Frankenstein, with various other texts helping build the answer to the essential question within our students’ (and our own!) minds.

Synergy is a powerful gift and tool, one that I highly encourage your placing in your teacher box!

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2012′s 12 Intentions

December 31st, 2011 · No Comments · Uncategorized

As the year ends, I sit here pondering on my intentions (not resolutions) for 2012.  Thus, here’s what I intend to accomplish this year:

  1. Drink more liquids, especially water.  At this point, this is a necessity in my life.
  2. Loose weight and move!  Last year, I separated these two, but does one not depend on the other?
  3. Read…and read.  Here’s the post of commitment to the reading challenges I hope to achieve.  My goal is to read 75 books (a mixture of fiction and non-fiction). In addition, I will read the Bible through this year.
  4. Write…and write.  This year, I hope to maintain this blog, as well as my book review blog and my prayer walk blog.
  5. Quiet time.  ”Quiet” is my word for the One Word Challenge.  Last year, my word was “peace.”  Please consider this challenge, for it really impacted my life.
  6. Holly Time.  My daughter is 12.  Twelve! How did she get this old?  Last year, she had her, hopefully, last major surgery.  It was a total success!  Thank you, Lord!  She is my pride and joy, and this year I want her to know it even more.
  7. Jay Time.  My husband is My Rock, my best friend.  I like him and enjoy spending time with him, watching movies, shooting handguns and rifles, giving him honey-do’s to complete!
  8. Concealed Weapon License.  I want this.  This year.
  9. Teach more.  According to a book I read, maybe this means teaching less.  My goal is always to prepare my students for the “real” world.  I want to accomplish this to much greater degree.
  10. Girl Time.  Over the past several years, I have spent less time with my gal pals.  This time is healthy; plus, I have some friends that are so dear to me, and I really want to enjoy and appreciate having them.
  11. Discipleship.  For my church, I teach the Sunday evening discipleship training class.  Shhh…I receive more from this class than the attendees!  AND I do want to be a better disciple for Christ.
  12. True to Self.  As I strive to achieve the above intentions, my ultimate goal is  to be better to myself in all areas:  mentally, emotionally, physically,  and spiritually, resulting in my being better to others, including my family, friends, peers, and students.
There.  My twelve intentions for 2012.
What is your one greatest intention or resolution for 2012?

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2012 Book Challenges

December 31st, 2011 · 4 Comments · Book Challenge

A new year…more reading challenges!  Below is my commitment:

Classic Double Challenge:  Read a classic and a “newer” novel that relates to the

classic in some way.  For example, the Twilight series’ main character Bella is always reading Pride and Prejudice; for that reason I started (and have yet to finish it…need to do that!).  Another example is A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Iron King series.

Yes, I like this challenge!  I am going to commit to reading three pairs (six books)…large, please!  This will also assist with my personal goal to read six classics this year (read eight last year!)  The host One Librarian’s Book Reviews (I like her blog!) has a suggested list here for ideas on book pairings.

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What’s in a Name  5 Challenge:  Read six books whose titles pertain in some way to the following topics:

  1. A book with a topographical feature (land formation) in the title
  2. A book with something you’d see in the sky in the title
  3. A book with a creepy crawly in the title
  4. A book with a type of house in the title
  5. A book with something you’d carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title
  6. A book with a something you’d find on a calendar in the title

This challenge I almost completed last year (2011)…did not read a book with a type of jewelry or gem in the title.  Will keep a closer eye on titles this year!

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Dana Huff’s Obscure Books Challenge:  Read a writer’s lesser known works.  ForObscure Books Challenge example, my husband enjoys reading Steinbeck.  When purchasing some novels for him, I came across The Wayward Bus.  Never heard of this one!

For this challenge, I will attempt “The Stranger”:  to read 1-5 “obscure” books.  This might also assist in my personal goal to read more classics?  Maybe not?  If a book is “obscure,” then it is probably not a classic…

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The Next Four  Challenges…found these on a post by Dana Huff at Much Madness Is Divinest Sense…thank you!

Harry Potter Reading Challenge:  Read all seven books in the Harry Potter series

during 2012.  Yay!  According to host The Reading Fever, for “Extra Credit,” read one book a month and join something called Potter Con 2012 in September.  Interesting!

Harry Potter remains my favorite series…of all time!  Some argue there are too many books to be read to re-read.  I agree.  But.  For Harry Potter I will do this!  :)

Think I will start this challenge first!

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Mount TBR Challenge:  ah, the answer!  Several months ago, I attempted (cannot say I completely succeeded!) to NOT purchase as many books, for my shelves are full of books, many purchased on recommendations I read on various blogs.  I am a recovering book-purchaser addict…:)

Some of the reads here will count for more than one challenge.  Glad to have the encouragement…the challenge…to read what I already know I want to read!

Two immediate choices for this challenge might be Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.  I still have not watched this movie, for I must read the novel first.  Right?  For this reason, also, Water for Elephants is also still waiting on me.

I will attempt Mt. Ararat…40 books.  I hope to read more, for I have quite the investment sitting in my shelves right now!  According to the challenger The Reader’s Block, you are locked into the level you choose.  Cannot go back down the mountain!  Can only go up!  All books must be  pre-owned by January 1, 2012…got that covered!  No re-reads (Harry Potter series and book one of The Outlander series will not count!).

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Why Buy the Cow Reading Challenge 2012:  Read free and legal downloaded books.  My daughter has an Ipad, which I help Ipad-sit, and we have downloaded several free reads onto its various readers already.  Also because I teacher in a fairly tech-friendly classroom, one of my goals is to become Ipad-friendly so that I might be more comfortable with its use in my classroom.

For this challenge, I am signing up for the lowest level:  Coupon Clipper = 12 reads.  Hum, this may be a lofty goal, but unless I challenge myself, I will not even read one!  So here goes!  A student told me I needed to read Alice in Wonderland last fall, for, according to him, it has a much deeper meaning.  Now, that is cool coming from an 11th grade boy who is in resource class!  Yes, I mus read this one!

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Outlander Series Reading Challenge:  Read all seven books in this series.  IThe Lit Bitch actually started this series several years ago…made it to book two…and loved it!  Why did I not complete it?!  This is the year!  What I especially like about this challenge in the host’s commitment to an online discussion as we read each novel.  Cool!

For this series, I will have to purchase the last two.  That will do my addiction to purchasing books  good!

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Gillmore Challenges:  Yes, I Can!

  1. To read ten professional development books in their entirety. As a select member of ASCD, I receive five of the latest releases.  Plus, I tend to purchase even more (just bought two over Christmas Break!).  Guilty, I am of reading just portions of the books.  Much is to be said about immersing oneself in a book.  That’s what I expect of my students; therefore, I should expect it of myself.
  2. To read the entire Bible in chronological order.  I discovered this site with daily readings with the Bible organized in such a manner, and I like it.  I am determined to complete this goal.
  3. To read more Christian-based development books.  I have purchased several of these, so these will fit nicely into the Mount TBR Challenge also.  My first is Made to Crave, a book I purchased about this time last year!
  4. To read 75 books this year, just sixteen more than last year.
There, that’s it.  My reading challenges for this year.
Now, to take down the Christmas decorations, so these challenges may begin!
Enjoy reading…and Happy New Year!

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2011 Book Challenges

December 30th, 2011 · No Comments · Uncategorized

What a grand year of reading!  I signed up for three reading challenges…and here are the results!

Dana Huff’s Challenge Books I Should Have Read in High School : IBooks I Should Have Read in School, but Didn't initially signed up to read twelve books.  Yes, aggressive!  However, I did read eight, achieving “graduate student.”

  1. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
  2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
  3. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
  4. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
  5. A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
  6. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
  7. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
  8. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Vern

 

What’s in a Name :  Uh, oh!  Missed this challenge by one!  I should have paid more attention and chosen a book for each category.

  • A book with a number in the title:
    • Fahrenheit 451
    • The 360 Degree Leader
    • Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25
    • Slaughterhouse Five
    • The 9th Judgement
    • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
  • A book with jewelry or a gem in the title:
    • Hum…just cannot find a title from my list that fits within this category!
  • A book with a size in the title:
    • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (league is a size, right?!)
  • A book with travel or movement in the title:
    • The Walk
    • The Sun Also Rises
    • Miles to Go
  • A book with evil in the title:
    • The  Poisonwood Bible (poison!)
    • Wicked
    • The Book of Unholy Mischief
    • City of Fallen Angels
  • A book with a life stage in the title:
    • Dead in Dallas
    • The Christmas Wedding

RIP :  This was my second year to complete this challenge!  September

and October are just the perfect times to read such novels!


  • The Sugar Queen     by Sarah Addison Allen
  • Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
  • Cross Fire by James Patterson
  • The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

Gillmore: More Reads in 2011 – This was a personal challenge to myself.  I won!

All in all, this has been an excellent year of reading!  Yes, I had hoped to read more professional books, more classics, but again, all in all, a very good year!

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Also posted at Mrs. G’s Book Reviews.

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Reflecting on the 11

December 30th, 2011 · No Comments · Uncategorized

Last year, I chose eleven intentions for 2011, for I intended to make some changes.  Let’s take a moment and measure my accomplishments…

  1. Drink More Water:  On most days, unfortunately, I did not meet my goal of two glasses a day.  Honestly?  I forgot about this one!  Going to keep it on my list for next year!
  2. Loose Weight:  Hardly accomplished this one, either.  I did loose about seven pounds before Christmas.  Going to keep this one on next year’s list also!
  3. Walk.  Move.  Again, I did not accomplish this one.  Yes, going to leave it one next year’s list also!
  4. Complete the Beth Moore Scripture Memory Challenge:  No.  Did. Not. Even. Get. Close.
  5. Read the Bible.  Not. Even. Close.  Shame on me!  Already working on my plan for this one.
  6. Read more professional books.  Hum.  I did read professional books.  Again, I tend to read portions of these books; I read what I want to read out of them and then lay them aside.  Again, I am going to leave this one on next year’s list also.
  7. Read more books than I did last year:  Yes!  Finally!  An intention I actually kept!  A post on this topic soon!  Hoping to read one more book this year!
  8. Better my markswomanship…and obtain my Concealed Weapon License.  Not sure I improved any, but I did not get any worse!  Still wanting that Concealed Weapon License.
  9. Time with my family and for myself:  Well, not sure how to measure this one…I will say that I “somewhat” accomplished this one, mainly because of my daughter’s surgery and my mother’s extended stay in the hospital.  These events both encouraged my slowing down and spending quality time with each of these special people.
  10. Write, reflect. I did blog…not sure how it compares to the previous year…that’s an upcoming post topic.
  11. Organized.  Yes, this is a bit better.  Because I am not the yearbook sponsor this year, I have had some extra time to work through piles and stacks.
As I commented on my eleven intentions, I felt like a failure!  Certainly makes my list much easier to create for next year!
The real concern is what might I do to better ensure my accomplishing these intentions, for they are all needed within my life.  Unfortunately, this post became ”buried.”  Maybe my list needs to be more prominent.  Knowing I am a visual learner, I should definitely place my list in high-traffic eye-lines.
I also noted that none of these intentions had much direct emphasis on my students.  Granted, many of my intentions should have indirectly affected them.  Going to ponder on that, for with only one day left of 2011, it is time to commit to next year’s list!
What intentions, promises, resolutions are on your 2012 list?

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